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Oats Idli Recipe (Requires No Fermentation)
4.7 from 72 votes

Oats Idli Recipe (Requires No Fermentation)

The Oats Idli is a steamed savory cake made from a batter of ground oats, fine rava (cream of wheat), and yogurt, leavened with fruit salt or baking soda instead of fermentation. It includes grated carrots, fresh herbs, and a tempering of mustard seeds, dals, ginger, and curry leaves sautéed with chopped green chilies and cashews, adding crunch and aroma. The final idlis have a light texture and mild tang from the yogurt, providing a quick alternative to traditional fermented idli.

Prep Time
25 mins
Cook Time
15 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 16 oats idli
Calories: 62 kcal
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

Main ingredients
  • 1 cup oats - quick cooking oats or rolled oats
  • ½ cup rava sooji or cream of wheat), fine textured, fine
  • ½ cup curd (yogurt), fresh or sour
  • 1 cup water or add as required
  • 1 teaspoon fruit salt or ½ teaspoon baking soda, Eno brand fruit salt (leavening agent
  • ⅓ to ½ cup carrot or 1 small to medium-sized carrot, grated
  • 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves cilantro, chopped
  • salt as required
For tempering
  • ½ to 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil generic cooking oil
  • ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
  • ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
  • ½ teaspoon urad dal - husked, split black gram (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon chana dal - husked, split bengal gram
  • 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper crushed
  • 1 teaspoon green chili or 1 to 2 green chillies, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon curry leaves finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon ginger or 1 inch ginger, finely chopped
  • 8 to 10 cashews - chopped
  • 1 or 2 tablespoons coconut optional, grated

Instructions

Preparation
    Cup of Yum
  1. Take rolled oats or quick cooking oats in a grinder or blender jar. Blend to a fine flour.
  2. Peel and grate 1 small to medium carrot.
  3. Finely chop the ginger, curry leaves, coriander leaves and green chilies.
Making tempering
  1. Heat oil in a pan. On a low heat, add the mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal. 
  2. Stir and fry till the mustard seeds crackle and both the urad dal and chana dal become golden.
  3. Now add the green chilies, ginger, curry leaves, cashews and a pinch of asafoetida. Saute for a minute.
Making batter
  1. Add sooji (rava or cream of wheat). Stirring often roast for 2 minutes on a low heat.
  2. Then add the oats flour. Stir very well and keep on stirring often while roasting the flour.
  3. Roast for a total time of about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer this mixture in a bowl and let it cool completely.
  4. Then add grated carrots and chopped coriander leaves. You can also add steamed green peas or blanched/steamed french beans or skip the veggies altogether.
  5. Add curd. You can add either fresh or sour curd.
  6. Add water. Combine and mix very well. The batter should have a medium consistency. Cover and allow the batter to rest for 5 to 6 minutes.
  7. Meanwhile, grease the idli moulds with some oil or ghee.
  8. Place a small trivet/perforated plate in a 5 to 6 litre pressure cooker, large pot, Instant Pot or electric rice cooker. Add 1.5 to 2 cups water in the pressure cooker, pan, electric rice cooker or Instant pot and heat until the water comes to a boil.
  9. You can also use the traditional idli steamer to steam oats idli.
  10. Now add salt as per taste to the batter and mix very well.
  11. Next add 1 teaspoon fruit salt (eno) or ½ teaspoon baking soda. For a less soapy alkaline aroma you can add ½ teaspoon fruit salt or ¼ teaspoon baking soda. The texture in this case is less fluffy and soft.
  12. As soon as you add the fruit salt, quickly begin to mix it with the batter.
  13. Be quick and mix very well so that the fruit salt is mixed evenly in the batter.
Steaming
  1. Pour the batter in a the greased idli moulds. Try to use all the batter in one steaming batch.
  2. Gently place the moulds on the trivet/perforated plate inside the pot, electric rice cooker, Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
  3. Cover and steam for about 10 to 12 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the oat idli should come out clean.
  4. If using a pressure cooker, remove the vent weight (whistle) from the lid before sealing the cooker tightly with the lid prior to steaming.
  5. For Instant pot, keep the valve at the “venting position”. Press the steam button and steam on high pressure for 10 to 12 minutes. Keep a track of the time with a timer.
  6. Allow the steamed oatmeal idli to stand for some minutes. Then remove them with a spoon dipped in hot water.
  7. Serve these light, healthy and instant oats idli hot or warm with coconut chutney or sambar.
Serving suggestions
  1. Serve oats idli hot or warm with Coconut Chutney, Tomato Chutney, Idli Podi or Sambar. These oatmeal idli also make for a good tiffin box or lunchtime snack.
Storage and leftovers
  1. Keep leftover oats idli in a covered container in the refrigerator. Reheat in a microwave sprinkling a few drops of water on the idli or you can steam them for 1 to 2 minutes in a pan or pot.
  2. You can even pan fry or shallow fry them until crispy and golden. Serve the fried oats idli with any dip like a tomato ketchup or schezwan sauce or coriander chutney.

Notes

  • Fruit salt or baking soda is used as a leavening agent to produce the desired softness without fermentation, but it may yield a different texture and aroma.
  • Use the entire batter in one steaming session for best results; storing and re-steaming can reduce softness.
  • Prepare coconut chutney or other side dishes while idlis steam to serve a complete meal promptly.
  • For a vegan version, substitute dairy yogurt with cashew or almond yogurt, or omit yogurt and add lemon juice for acidity.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1oats idli Calories 62kcal (3%) Carbohydrates 9g (3%) Protein 2g (4%) Fat 2g (3%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Cholesterol 1mg (0%) Sodium 158mg (7%) Potassium 64mg (1%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 1g (2%) Vitamin A 671IU (13%) Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 8mg Vitamin B6 1mg Vitamin B12 1µg (42%) Vitamin C 13mg (14%) Vitamin D 1µg (5%) Vitamin E 1mg Vitamin K 1µg Calcium 57mg (6%) Vitamin B9 (Folate) 82µg Iron 2mg (11%) Magnesium 15mg (4%) Phosphorus 51mg Zinc 1mg

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 16 oats idli

Amount Per Serving

Calories 62

% Daily Value*

Serving 1oats idli
Calories 62kcal 3%
Carbohydrates 9g 3%
Protein 2g 4%
Fat 2g 3%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Cholesterol 1mg 0%
Sodium 158mg 7%
Potassium 64mg 1%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 1g 2%
Vitamin A 671IU 13%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 8mg
Vitamin B6 1mg
Vitamin B12 1µg 42%
Vitamin C 13mg 14%
Vitamin D 1µg 5%
Vitamin E 1mg
Vitamin K 1µg
Calcium 57mg 6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 82µg
Iron 2mg 11%
Magnesium 15mg 4%
Phosphorus 51mg
Zinc 1mg

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.